PhyreEngine is a license-only free to use game engine from Sony Interactive Entertainment, compatible with PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation VR, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo Switch,[1] Microsoft Windows (for OpenGL and DirectX 11), Google Android and Apple iOS.[2] PhyreEngine has been adopted by several game studios and has been used in over 200 published titles.[2]

PhyreEngine
Developer(s)Sony Interactive Entertainment
Operating systemPlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation VR, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Android, iOS, Xbox One
TypeGame engine
LicenseProprietary
Websitedevelop.scee.net/research-technology/phyreengine/

Features

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PhyreEngine is exclusively distributed to Sony licensees as an installable package that includes both full source code and Microsoft Windows tools, provided under its own flexible use license that allows any PlayStation 3 game developer, publisher or tools and middleware company to create software based partly or fully on PhyreEngine on any platform. The engine uses sophisticated parallel processing techniques that are optimized for the Synergistic Processor Unit (SPU) of the Cell Broadband Engine of PS3, but can be easily ported to other multi-core architectures.

PhyreEngine supports OpenGL and Direct3D,[3] in addition to the low level PS3 LibGCM library.[4] It provides fully functional “game templates” as source code, including support for Havok Complete XS, NVIDIA PhysX and Bullet for physics.

History

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The development of PhyreEngine was started in 2003 to create a graphics engine for PlayStation 3.[5] The first public demonstration occurred in 2006.[5]

PhyreEngine was launched during the 2008 Game Developers Conference.[3] New features (including deferred rendering) were showcased during GDC 2009.[6] Version 2.40, released in March 2009, included a new “foliage rendering” system that provides tools and technology to render ultra-realistic trees and plants to be easily integrated into games.[7]

Version 3.0, released in 2011, has a new and powerful asset pipeline, combining enhanced versions of the already robust exporters, with a powerful processing tool to generate optimized assets for each platform. Also new is the rewritten level editor, which permits a far more data-driven approach to authoring games using PhyreEngine. Version 3.0 added support for the PlayStation Vita.[8]

List of games using PhyreEngine
Title Developer Year
Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed Acquire 2013
Malicious Alvion 2010
Rugby League Live Big Ant Studios 2010
AFL Live 2011
AFL Live: Game of the Year Edition 2012
Critter Crunch[9][10] Capybara Games 2009
Below 2018
Colin McRae: Dirt[a] Codemasters 2007
Race Driver: Grid[a] Codemasters 2008
Unravel[11] Coldwood Interactive, Electronic Arts 2016
Unravel Two 2018
Hyperdimension Neptunia Compile Heart, Idea Factory, Gust Corporation,
Nippon Ichi Software, Sega
2010
Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 Compile Heart, Idea Factory 2011
Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory 2012
Megadimension Neptunia VII 2015
Mugen Souls Compile Heart, Idea Factory, Nippon Ichi Software 2012
Mugen Souls Z 2013
Hotline Miami[11] Dennaton Games, Abstraction Games 2012
Burn Zombie Burn Doublesix Games 2009
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel Falcom[12] 2013
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II 2014
Tokyo Xanadu 2015
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III 2017
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV 2018
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie 2020
Savage Moon FluffyLogic 2008
Catan Game Republic 2008
Knytt Underground[13] Green Hill Studios 2012
Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland[14] Gust Corporation 2009
Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel[14] 2010
Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland[14] 2010
Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland[14] 2011
Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk[14] 2012
Divekick Iron Galaxy Studios 2013
PachiPara DL Hyper Sea Story In Karibu Irem 2008
Zettai Zetsumei Toshi 4: Summer Memories 2011
Strength of the Sword 3[11] Ivent 2013
Super Mega Baseball[11] Metalhead Software 2014
Trinity Universe Nippon Ichi Software 2009
Last Rebellion 2010
Disgaea 4 2011
The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2013
Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken[13] Ratloop 2011
Rocketbirds 2: Evolution[11][13] 2016
OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood[11] Roll7 2015
Gravity Daze / Gravity Rush Sony Computer Entertainment 2011
Under Siege[14] Seed Studios 2011
GripShift Sidhe Interactive 2007
Shatter[15][16] 2009
Mars: War Logs Spiders 2013
Bound by Flame 2014
The Technomancer 2016
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster Square Enix 2014
Final Fantasy XII Zodiac Age 2016
Dragon Quest Builders[17] 2016
Flower[11] thatgamecompany[4] 2009
Flow[11] 2007
Journey[11] 2012
Sky: Children of the Light[11] 2019
Amy VectorCell 2012
Flashback 2013
ibb & obb Sparpweed & Codeglue 2013(PS3) / 2014(PC) / 2020(Switch)
Super Motherload XGen Studios 2013

Derived game engines

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Uses the derivative EGO game engine

References

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  1. ^ "The Switch Now Supports Sony's Multiformat PhyreEngine". Shacknews. January 17, 2018. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
  2. ^ a b "PhyreEngine - official website". Sony Computer Entertainment Europe R&D. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  3. ^ a b "GDC08: PhyreEngine, Sony's new (free!) cross-platform engine". ps3fanboy. Feb 21, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
  4. ^ a b "Questions about the Phyre Engine". thatgamecompany.com. Mar 27, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
  5. ^ a b "10 Years of PhyreEngine™". 13 November 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  6. ^ "GDC09: PhyreEngine game template demo showing post processing techniques". gametrailers.com. Mar 26, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  7. ^ "Sony Computer Entertainment Announces PhyreEngine for PSP" (PDF). SCEE. March 6, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 21, 2012. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
  8. ^ "Sony Computer Entertainment Announces release of PhyreEngine 3.0" (PDF). SCEE. March 6, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 21, 2012. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
  9. ^ "PSN: Interview: Capybara Games On Crunching Critters". gamerbytes.com. May 21, 2009. Archived from the original on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
  10. ^ "Joystiq: ICritter Crunch dev praises Sony's support of indie games". joystiq.com. November 26, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "PhyreEngine Showcase". Sony Computer Entertainment Europe R&D. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  12. ^ "Toshihiro Kondo On Hajimari no Kiseki, Its Sequel, The New Falcom Engine, Spinoffs, And More". dualshockers.com. August 8, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  13. ^ a b c Forster, Richard (27 March 2013). "Game Developers: PhyreEngine 3.5 Arrives Today for PS3, PS4, PS Vita". Playstation Blog (US). Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  14. ^ a b c d e f "Develop Magazine (Online Edition)". Intentmedia. August 9, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  15. ^ "Develop Magazine (Online Edition)". Intentmedia. July 13, 2009. Archived from the original on April 13, 2012. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
  16. ^ "Shatter developer talks up benefits of PhyreEngine". Joystiq. July 23, 2009. Archived from the original on June 11, 2019. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
  17. ^ Barder, Ollie. "Noriyoshi Fujimoto On 'Dragon Quest Builders' And How It Came About". Forbes. Retrieved 2016-10-18.
  18. ^ "DiRT 2 demo: PS3/Xbox 360 performance showdown". Eurogamer. 28 August 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
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